Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's representative to international organizations based in Vienna, said Sunday morning that the Americans were the main beneficiaries of the sanctions against Russia and that the Europeans were the losers.
Ulyanov wrote on Twitter:
The main beneficiary is US anti-Russian sanctions. EU member states are losing in this situation. The European capitals decided to choose this role deliberately and without any hesitation. No attempt was made to make them more creative and skillful.
Russia ordered a military strike on Ukraine on February 24. This development came days after Moscow formally recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk republics in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his military operation is aimed at "demilitarizing Ukraine" and "de-Naziizing" the country.